Whole house generators need care, air – and plenty of food
BY GEORGIA TASKER
THE HERALD
A whole house generator makes life after hurricanes far easier and safer than enduring powerless nights and cold-water showers. It also keeps the pumps for the koi pond running.
But a whole-house generator is more than just a gadget, it is the Big Dog of generatordom, and it has specific needs.
First, it needs a commodious space to call its own.
Not only is it large, (in truth, it’s a car engine), it is accompanied by a fuel tank.
Ours is a 500-gallon propane tank living below ground. The fuel has to be fairly close to the generator, yet the generator has to be away from the windows and neighbors because of the noise. However, it can’t be too far removed from the street because the fuel tank has to be refilled via the hose from the propane truck. Which periodically squirts in $800 or $900 worth of fuel, which provides a week or so of power. Big dog.
Our generators also needs air movement so we cannot conceal it with shrubbery or otherwise obstruct airflow. And because fuel efficiency decreases by 1 percent with every degree of temperature increase above 60 degrees F, it sits beneath a shade tree on its own concrete pad.
It requires periodic servicing to have the oil and spark plugs changed, the coolant checked and the battery replaced.
Not long ago, it stopped in the middle of the night. Because the clocks stopped, we knew the electricity had not been restored, but something was wrong. Turned out, the generator ran out of oil.
Make a note: check the oil.
Make another note: wax the generator. It’s outside all the time, and the cover must be waxed at least once a year, or it will corrode.
Picture Caption : MAINTENANCE REQUIRED: HJ Frank of Personalized Power Systems shows one of his whole house generators.